Cushion unit stops for a cushioned underframe railroad flat car

ABSTRACT

In a cushioned underframe railroad flat deck car, a fixed through center sill and a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill, a pair of upper and lower fore fixed cushion unit key stop means and a pair of upper and lower aft cushion unit key stop means, each of the fixed stop means being attached to the fixed sill with the respective upper fore and aft key stop means including a fore longitudinal member and an aft longitudinal member each suspended from transverse reinforcing means on the top of the fixed sill and each of the lower fixed stop means including antitorque and antibending structure mounting each lower stop means which is in the form of a longitudinally extending lower stop member mountedly attached with the sidewalls of the fixed sill, movable key stop means attached to the cross web of the sliding insert sill and defining an open portion for receiving the cushion unit, said sliding sill key stop means including a pair of longitudinally spaced crossheads on either side of the pocket and attached with a respective portion of the sliding sill cross web, the upper and lower fixed key stop means being vertically spaced from one another to permit horizontal reciprocal movement of the crossheads therebetween, the fixed and movable stop means engaging the cushion unit.

United States Patent Herman A. Aquino Hobart, Ind. 39,684

3,223,05l l2/l965 Peterson........v............. Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman [72] Inventor No. May 20 970 Attorneys-Hilmond O. Vogel and Wayne Morris Russell [45] Patented Nov. 23, 1971 Assignee l'l'f ABSTRACT: In a cushioned underframe railroad fla ago,

t deck [54] CUSHION UNIT STOPS FOR A CUSHIONED lower aft cushion unit key stop means, each of the fixed stop UNDERFRAME RAILROAD FLAT CAR 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

means being attached to the fixed sill with the respective upper fore and aft key stop means including a fore longitudinal member and an aft longitudinal member each suspended from transverse reinforcing means on the top of the fixed sill and each of the lower fixed stop means including antitorque [51] Int.

e mounting each lower stop means dinally extending lower stop ith the sidewalls of the fixed sill, movable key stop means attached to the cross'web of the ning an open portion for receivin g the sliding insert sill and defi cushion unit, said slidin [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS g sill key stop means including a pair of heads on either side of the pocket spective portion of the sliding sill cross web, the upper and lower longitudinally spaced cross and attached with a re fixed key stop means being venically spaced from one another to permit horizontal reciprocal movement of the crossheads therebetween. the fixed and movable stop means engaging the cushion unit.

Baillie et al.

n am m mmum neld PPBP 5555 66666 99999 HUN 0 9 2 l II 325 8 86369 50 PATENTEDunv 23 Ian SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR HERMAN A. AOU/NO PATENTEDuuv 23 I97| SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR HERMAN A AQUINO ATT'Y CUSHION UNIT STOPS FOR A CUSHIONED UNDERFRAME RAILROAD FLAT CAR SUMMARY This invention relates to cushioned underframe railroad cars and in particular relates to a cushioned underframe railroad car provided with a longitudinally extending through fixed center sill and a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill wherein the cushion unit is disposed within a pocket in the insert sill and is adapted to engage fixed stops on the fixed sill and stops on the slidable sill. I

It is, therefore, a general object of this inventionto provide for a cushioned underframe railroad car having a cushion unit pocket in the sliding insert sill and fore and aft upper and lower fixed key stop meanson the fixed sill cooperative with fore and aft key stop means on the sliding sill at the ends of the cushion unit pocket.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a cushioned underframe wherein the fixed upper fore and aft key stops are depending from the top of the fixed sill and extend longitudinally and are spaced longitudinally from one another and held to the top reinforcement means and'wherein the lower fixed key step means are held by antitorque and 'antibending means which mounts the fore and aft lower key stops to the respective sides of the fixed sill.

Still another object of this invention is to provide for a pair of longitudinally opposed sliding sill stops in the form' of spaced crossheads reciprocally disposed between vertically spaced fore and aft fixed stops on the fixed sill.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a partial top plan view of a flat deck railroad car utilizing the inventive cushion stop arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3is an enlarged perspective view of the inventive arrangement of the cushion stop arrangement; and 7 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the structure carryin'g the lower cushion sto'p arrangement on the fixed center sill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference now tothe drawings and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, there is shown approximately-half of a flat deck railroad car 2 of a construction identical to theconsti'uction of the Hat car shown in the copending patent application Ser. No. 39,683 filed May 20, I970 and having the inventors: Roy W. Miller, Marvin .Stark andWilliar'n R. Shaver, assigned to Pullman Incorporated, and entitled "Railroad Flat 'Car" and hereby incorporated herein by reference. The fiat deck car 2 is provided with a cushioned'underframe employing the type of cushion unit disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 3,035,714 and 3,305,827, both issued to William H. Peterson on May 22, I962 whicliare hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The railroad car is provided with a fiat'deck 3 including a deck plate structure 4 upon which ismounted rub rail structure 5 which includes a pair ofrub rails 6 guiding the wheels of a trailer therealong. The underframe 7 of the railroad car includes crossbearers 8 mounted to tliefixed through center sill 9 which has slidable'therethroug'h the sliding insert sill 10 at each end of which is provided a bell-mouth-shaped coupler 11. The insert sill is provided with a cushion unit pocket 12 in which is disposed the cushion unit I3 disclosed in the aforementioned patents. As to be more fully explained below, the cushion unit 13 is engageable with the stop means or key means 14 of the sliding sill and with the stop means or key means I5 of the fixed sill.

As seen in FIGS. 1-3, each crossbearer structure 8 includes a pair of crossbearer members 16 including an upper transverse part 16a and a lower diagonal part 16b connecting with a truss member 16c on eachside of the fixed sill 9. Each crossmember I6 is structurally connected with its laterally adjacent I crossmember 16 by means of diaphragm plate 17. As seen in FIG. 3, each truss member 16c of each 'crossmember I6 is also in line with the fixed stop'or key means 15 of the fixed sill 9. The truss parts 16c of the crossmembers 16 are attached to the sidewalls 18 of the fixed sill 9. .The fixed sill 9.also has a bottom plate 19 which extends beyond the fixed sill and undemeath is'connected with the respective truss elements 16c and, in the area of the cushion pocket 12, the top of the fixed sill is in the form of a cover plate or cushion access plate structure 20 which is attached to the deck plate structure 4 and spanning the cushion pocket, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The sliding insert sill I0 is slidably mounted on wear pad means 22 of the fixed sill and includes a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls or plates 23 and bottom plate 24 and a topcushion cover plate 25 which is slotted at 26 (see FIG. 2) to accommodaterelative movement between it and the upper fixed stop means 28. The lower plate 24 is also slotted at 27 to accommodate the relative movement with the lower fixed stop 29. The upper stop or key means 28 of the fixed stop means 15 includes a pair of Iongitudinally spaced-apart stop structures-30connected by the plate structure 20. Each stop structure 30 includes a pair of longitudinally spaced transversely extending bars 31 connected by a plate 32 and havinga longitudinally extending vertically depending stop bar or member 33 depending from the c'rossbars 31 and the plate 32. The cushion unit pocket 12 is between these upper stop structures 30 and the baseplate 34 at each end of a cushion unit 13 engages with the stop members 33 and 36 of the respective stop structures 28, 29. The lower fixed stop means includes a pair of longitudinally spaced stop structures each being spaced underneath a respective upper stop structure 30 and the cushion unit is disposed between each of the lowerstop structures 35. (The cushion unit is shown in phantom.) Each lower stop structure 35 includes a longitudinally extending depending cushion stop or key member 36 which is held between a pair of channelshaped members 37 which connect the stop member 36 with the sidewalls 18 of the fixed sill 9. Each channel member 37 has its web portion 37a horizontal and extending longitudinally and its flanges 37b at each end depending transversely. The channel-shaped members 23 ofthe sliding sill 10 are held together byth'e horizontal sliding sill web 38. In the area of the cushion unit pocket 12 there is provided an open portion or cutout portion 39 in the web 38 and the transverse ends of this open portion are defined by crosshead members 40 attached to the ends of the cross web 38 as, for instance, shown in the aforementioned copending patent application. These crossheads a'ct as'keys or stops which also engage the respective baseplates 34 of thecushion unit 13. Thus, it is seen that the baseplate 34 at each end of the cushion unit 13 is adapted to engage the upperand lower stop members 33 and 36 of the fixed stop means 14 and 15 as well as the crosshead or movable stop member 400i the sliding sill as, for instance, seen in perspective in FIG. 3. The fixed sill is provided with sliding sill guide means 41 (see FIG. 2). In the operation of the cushion unit upon buffer draft impact forces, the crosshead 40 at one end of the cushion. unit pocket 12 bears against the adjacent baseplate 34 of the cushion unit 13 at that end, which causes compression movement of the hydraulic or energy-absorbing cushion unit which is resisted by the upper and lower fixed cushion stop keys 33 and 36 at the other end of the cushion unit pocket. Each of the upper and lower fixed key members 33 and 36 at each of the fore and aft sides of the cushion pocket are spaced vertically from one another a sufiicient distance to provide for reciprocal longitudinal movement of the horizontal crosshead member movable stop of the sliding sill therebetween, as shown in FIG. 3.

At the outboard end of each of the fore and aft upper and lower fixed stops is found a crossbearer structure 8 and in fact in actual alignment with the outboard crossbar 31. There is also located on each side of the inboard crossbar member 31 a triangulated truss member 42 including a transfer plate 420 and a longitudinal flange portion 42b, one of which is seen in FIG. 3, the one 42 being laterally opposed thereof not being shown because of parts being broken away. This truss member 42 acts in the same manner as truss member 160 and that is, that these truss members receive the loads in buff and draft from the sliding sill which are dumped into the cushion unit and then into the vertically depending fixed stop members 33 and 36. In the top or upper cushion stop arrangement, the right reinforcement crossbar (as seen in FIG. 3) resists the tendency of the right end of the cushion stop to deflect downward since the baseplate of the cushion unit hits the stop member 33 below the right crossbar and the left reinforcement crossbar resists the tendency of the left end of the cushion stop member that depends to deflect upwardly. Thus, the pair of reinforcement crossbars resists the torque loads. In bending forces both the crossbars and the intermediate plate that are welded to the deck resist bending forces in a horizontal plane of the top cushion stop or key structure. In the case of the bottom or lower cushion fixed stop structures there is no rotational or torque moment of the cushion stop channel because the load is located at the shear center of the channel member, that is, that the baseplate of the cushion stop impinges on the lower vertical stop member above the channel member. In bending, there is a tendency for the bottom cushion stop to bend in a horizontal plane and this tends to pull the sides of the fixed sills together and, therefore, the reinforcement members or side members of the fixed sill resist resultant bending of the sides. A modified form of torque tube 45 is used in place of the channel members 37 in supporting the upright sliding sill stop members 36, as shown in FIG. 4, the member 45 being a continuous ellipticallike annular member or closed torque box design. The bending of this lower fixed stop arrangement, as shown in FIG. 4, is resolved as would be the case with the type of lower fixed stop shown in FIG. 3. Whether the member is a closed torque box type 45 of FIG. 4 or a channel-type member 37 as shown in FIG. 3, it takes two of such members 45 or 37 to suspend the upright lower fixed stop 36 to the sidewalls of the fixed sill below the sliding sill with the upright stop member 36 extending through slot 27 into the cushion pocket area in the sliding sill. Thus, bending of the upper fixed stops is taken in the crossbars, as are the torque loads, whereas bending in the lower fixed stop is taken through the torque members and into the sides of the fixed sill and the loads are taken by the channel members 37 or the modified torque members 45.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I. In a cushioned underframe railroad flat deck car,

a fixed center sill,

a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill and having coupler means extending outwardly of each end of the sliding sill and outwardly of each end of the fixed sill,

fixed cushion unit key stop means mounted on the fixed sill and defining generally a cushion unit pocket space,

said sliding sill having cross web means being provided with a slotted portion therein having ends defined by insert sill movable key stop means generally delineating the limits of a cushion pocket for receiving a cushion unit therein between the insert sill stop means and the fixed stop means,

said fixed key stop means including upper and lower stop structures on each side of the pocket, the upper stop structures being vertically spaced from the lower stop structures for horizontal reciprocal movement of the movable stop means therebetween.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said lower fixed stop structures each including a lower stop member suspended between the sides of the fixed sill below the insert sill and extending upwardly therein and having attachment means securing the lower fixed stop member to the sides of the sliding sill.

3. The invention according to claim 2, and

said attachment means including a pair of channel members each having fore and aft depending sections spaced longitudinally of one another and having an intermediate longitudinally extending member connecting with the depending members, each channel member connecting with a respective side of the fixed stop member and with the respective side of the fixed sill.

4. The invention according to claim 2, and

said attachment means including a pair of box-shaped members having fore and aft vertical sections spaced longitudinally of one another and having intermediate longitudinally extending upper and lower sections connecting with the vertical sections, each box-shaped member connecting with a respective side of the fixed stop member and with the respective side of the fixed sill.

5. The invention according to claim 1, and

each upper fixed stop structure comprising a depending stop member attached to the upper part of the fixed sill engageable with the cushion unit.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and

said upper fixed stop structure including a pair of transversely extending reinforcing elements interconnected by a horizontal plate, said horizontal plate dependingly supporting said upper fixed stop.

7. In a cushioned underframe railroad flat deck car,

a fixed through center sill and a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill,

a pair of upper and lower fore fixed cushion unit key stop means and a pair of upper and lower aft cushion unit key stop means, each of the fixed stop means being attached to the fixed sill with the respective upper fore and aft key stop means including a fore longitudinal member and an aft longitudinal member each suspended from transverse reinforcing means on the top of the fixed sill and each of the lower fixed stop means including antitorque and antibending structure mounting each lower stop means which is in the form of a longitudinally extending lower stop member mountedly attached with the sidewalls of the fixed sill,

movable key stop means attached to the cross web of the sliding insert sill and defining an open portion for receiving the cushion unit, said sliding sill key stop means including a pair of longitudinally spaced crossheads on either side of the pocket and attached with a respective portion of the sliding sill cross web, the upper and lower fixed key stop means being vertically spaced from one another to permit horizontal reciprocal movement of the crossheads therebetween, the fixed and movable stop means engaging the cushion unit.

8. In a cushioned underframe railroad car,

a longitudinally extending fixed through center sill,

a longitudinally extending sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the upper portion of the fixed sill,

upper fixed cushion stop means and lower fixed cushion stop means,

said sliding sill having a cross web having a pair of cushion stops defining a cushion pocket area,

each stop being the respective edge portion of the cross web,

the upper and lower fixed stop means being spaced vertically from one another to permit reciprocal motion of the stops between them at the respective ends of the cushion pocket,

reinforcing means on said fixed sill,

said upper fixed stop means depending from the top of the fixed sill by said reinforcing means, and

said fixed stop means having antitorque and antibending means fixedly supporting the lower stops with the sides of the fixed sill.

9. The invention according to claim 8, and

said antitorque and antibending means including a torque tube structure having the axis of the tube center being transverse to the length of the car.

10. The invention according to claim 8, and

said antitorque and antibending means including an channel 5 member having a longitudinally extending web and longitudinally spaced end flanges extending downward. 

1. In a cushioned underframe railroad flat deck car, a fixed center sill, a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill and having coupler means extending outwardly of each end of the sliding sill and outwardly of each end of the fixed sill, fixed cushion unit key stop means mounted on the fixed sill and defining generally a cushion unit pocket space, said sliding sill having cross web means being provided with a slotted portion therein having ends defined by insert sill movable key stop means generally delineating the limits of a cushion pocket for receiving a cushion unit therein between the insert sill stop means and the fixed stop means, said fixed key stop means including upper and lower stop structures on each side of the pocket, the upper stop structures being vertically spaced from the lower stop structures for horizontal reciprocal movement of the movable stop means therebetween.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and said lower fixed stop structures each including a lower stop member suspended between the sides of the fixed sill below the insert sill and extending upwardly therein and having attachment means securing the lower fixed stop member to the sides of the sliding sill.
 3. The invention according to claim 2, and said attachment means including a pair of channel members each having fore and aft depending sections spaced longitudinally of one another and having an intermediate longitudinally extending member connecting with the depending members, each channel member connecting with a respective side of the fixed stop member and with the respective side of the fixed sill.
 4. The invention according to claim 2, and said attachment means including a pair of box-shaped members having fore and aft vertical sections spaced longitudinally of one another and having intermediate longitudinally extending upper and lower sections connecting with the vertical sections, each box-shaped member connecting with a respective side of the fixed stop member and with the respective side of the fixed sill.
 5. The invention according to claim 1, and each upper fixed stop structure comprising a depending stop member attached to the upper part of the fixed sill engageable with the cushion unit.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, and said upper fixed stop structure including a pair of transversely extending reinforcing elements interconnected by a horizontal plate, said horizontal plate dependingly supporting said upper fixed stop.
 7. In a cushioned underframe railroad flat deck car, a fixed through center sill and a sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the fixed sill, a pair of upper and lower fore fixEd cushion unit key stop means and a pair of upper and lower aft cushion unit key stop means, each of the fixed stop means being attached to the fixed sill with the respective upper fore and aft key stop means including a fore longitudinal member and an aft longitudinal member each suspended from transverse reinforcing means on the top of the fixed sill and each of the lower fixed stop means including antitorque and antibending structure mounting each lower stop means which is in the form of a longitudinally extending lower stop member mountedly attached with the sidewalls of the fixed sill, movable key stop means attached to the cross web of the sliding insert sill and defining an open portion for receiving the cushion unit, said sliding sill key stop means including a pair of longitudinally spaced crossheads on either side of the pocket and attached with a respective portion of the sliding sill cross web, the upper and lower fixed key stop means being vertically spaced from one another to permit horizontal reciprocal movement of the crossheads therebetween, the fixed and movable stop means engaging the cushion unit.
 8. In a cushioned underframe railroad car, a longitudinally extending fixed through center sill, a longitudinally extending sliding insert sill reciprocally disposed within the upper portion of the fixed sill, upper fixed cushion stop means and lower fixed cushion stop means, said sliding sill having a cross web having a pair of cushion stops defining a cushion pocket area, each stop being the respective edge portion of the cross web, the upper and lower fixed stop means being spaced vertically from one another to permit reciprocal motion of the stops between them at the respective ends of the cushion pocket, reinforcing means on said fixed sill, said upper fixed stop means depending from the top of the fixed sill by said reinforcing means, and said fixed stop means having antitorque and antibending means fixedly supporting the lower stops with the sides of the fixed sill.
 9. The invention according to claim 8, and said antitorque and antibending means including a torque tube structure having the axis of the tube center being transverse to the length of the car.
 10. The invention according to claim 8, and said antitorque and antibending means including an channel member having a longitudinally extending web and longitudinally spaced end flanges extending downward. 